


Extraction

by Usetheladiesroom



Series: Time To Pretend [2]
Category: Black Mirror
Genre: Anal Sex, And Then It's Just Hurt, Angst, Caught in the Act, Coercion, Horror, How do I even tag this???, Hurt/Comfort, I'm So Sorry Y'all (part two), Jealousy, Loss of Control, M/M, Manipulation, Mind Control, No Lube, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Oral Sex, Suicidal Thoughts, Tentacles, Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 05:03:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13896852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Usetheladiesroom/pseuds/Usetheladiesroom
Summary: "Oh, well look what we have here."The all too familiar voice stops them both in their tracks, and James immediately yanks his mouth away, slowly turning his head around to see Robert, in all his glory, as he stands by the cell block's entrance with a rather distressed looking Shania in tow."Fraternizing with the enemy, are you, Walton?"(Set some time after 'Disintegration,' in which Captain Daly has procured the perfect crew, and with a crew comes the arrival of Daly's arch nemesis, Valdack, and the reprecussions that follow when said maniac attracts the eye of one starry eyed Lieutenant; or that's how this would've normally gone, had this been an actual episode of Space Fleet - but sadly for the crew of the USS Callister, it is far from it.)





	Extraction

**Author's Note:**

> (yeah so this got heavily edited so there are some new parts and dialogue that will hopefully make both the ending and just the fic itself a bit more substantial; so, sorry for any inconvenience!!)
> 
> So as you guys can tell by the tags, this fic is another nasty piece of work, and I regret everything :'D  
> (It's also really long and drawn out, and i'm sorry to those who are reading this, i'm so sorry, like it's a whopping 10k jfc)
> 
> Anyways, this fic was heavily inspired by the story 'I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream,' and the Star Trek episode 'Space Seed,' to a certain extent; also special thanks to users KoreArabin and toggledog for encouraging me to write more for these guys! c:
> 
> But yeah, so as I said this fic is like over 10k, but I managed to separate it into three sections with the longest being the prologue! I think I was a bit too overindulgent when it came to that section (but then again, you can pretty much say the same thing when it comes to the latter sections), but it is what it is. So I dunno y'all, take breaks if you have to! lol
> 
> As always, I'm not that great at writing, but I hope you guys can still enjoy this nevertheless!!
> 
> Also, since Valdack is the only one who isn't given a full name in the credits, i'm subscribing to the idea that Robert hated the guy so much that he made sure that everyone else forgot it when they got assimilated. Or maybe Valdack was all like 'Billy was my nerd name. Now I am Valdack,' at the office and it just stuck. Either way, i'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to give him a fitting name XD

Time continues to pass aboard the USS Callister, and with time, comes the arrival of new recruits in the form of Robert assimilating an assortment of their shared employees into Infinity much to James' twisted sense of relief. Yes, it was horrible that Robert would go ahead and do such a thing to the very people that they paid to make sure that Robert's dream project would always be up and running; but at the very least with every unassuming worker who fell victim to Robert's fucking web of pet peeves and general animosity in the real world, the more people he had to keep him company within the one that he had been forced to inhabit. To share in his misery. But most importantly, to provide a means for distraction; to drown out the enduring image of his son's frightened face, seconds after Robert had shoved him into the ship's airlock as he screamed for 'Daddy,' to come save him, and all he could do was watch as the compartment opened and the light of his life darkened and compressed, before breaking apart into tiny little pieces to float amongst the artificial stars that decorated the very backdrop of virtual space itself.

That - that was the so-called prize that Robert had promised him; It was a token, and a vow, that he could, and would, bring Tommy back into the game if he ever deemed it necessary. Because Robert had his son's DNA stashed away, sitting next to his own in a fucking mini fridge beside his desk in the lonely little apartment that he lived in, and there was no one, absolutely no one, who could stop him from doing it again, and again, and again.

The consequences of his actions thus far had weighed on him then, and the implications of what Robert would do was enough for him to surrender the rest of his pride and had convinced him to always comply with every single one of Robert's commands from then on as he returned to the bridge after spending the better part of an hour leaning against the same doors that had kept him from saving his own son as he cried and wailed, banging against the doors with all his might, until his hands became strained, and his knuckles were wet with blood. When the doors to the bridge had automatically opened for him, Robert had been waiting for him, gaze cold and analytical as he observed him walking into the room with his shoulders slumped and his eyes red from his own anguish.

But before he had left the game that day, Robert, as heartless as he was, had told him that he was going to give him a few days to properly grieve, to let him reflect on his previous actions so that he could learn from his mistakes; or so he was told; because the days - felt more than just days. They felt like weeks, maybe even months, and time had certainly taken its toll on him as he was bombarded from left to right by the memory of his son's death as it sat fresh in his mind on a constant loop until Robert had finally returned after having been gone for so long, and he had begged the very man that was the cause of his suffering to never leave him alone like that again.

It makes him sick whenever he remembers it, how he had grabbed ahold of Robert's leg, shamelessly sobbing into the fabric of the man's pants like a child would - like Tommy would - and how he didn't even pull away when Robert had laid a comforting hand on his head, soothingly running his fingers through his hair like he was a fucking dog. The very act had been demeaning and yet he let it happen, because in that exact moment his mind had gone quiet for the first time in forever, and he couldn't help but cry tears of joy as he had then leaned even more into Robert's touch like a dying man who had just come across an oasis after trudging through a vast desert of complete and utter sorrow.

From that point on, nothing could console him of his grief except for the usual distraction, and since there was no one else on the ship, he had to depend on Robert and his many moods to help him ease his pain; whether it was Robert taking his anger out on him, using him for his own pleasure, or reenacting certain plots from Space Fleet, James had looked forward to all three, for a time, because it was either that, or time spent alone with his own thoughts, and he would probably go batshit insane if he had been left with the latter; and so, he played along. When Robert wanted a punching bag, James never fought back; when Robert wanted him to play his cowardly second-in-command, James acted accordingly; and when Robert wanted to have sex with him, James did his best to be responsive to every single touch, to every single thrust, and he tried his hardest to live up to whatever fantasies Robert had when it came to him, dignity be damned.

It was only when Robert had begun to bring other people into the game did things finally get back to normal; or at least, as normal as it could be inside Infinity. With at least one other person aboard the ship, he no longer had to rely on Robert's torment to keep his thoughts at bay, and he had never been so grateful in his entire life.

Their colleague, Shania Lowry, had been the first out of many to be assimilated, and he had done his best to gently get her through the process as he explained everything that he knew about said assimilation as best he could, telling her that her being here in the first place was all Robert's doing. Of course, this was after he had followed her all around the goddamn ship while she had spent her first few hours aboard screaming and cursing at the top of her lungs; but when she had eventually gotten over her initial disbelief, Shania had then cackled and told him that she always knew that there was something off about Robert, and had even concluded that she was probably there because she had told him off the other day about just how much of a creep that he came across and that he should stop his unrepentant staring because it made all the girls in the office uncomfortable. And for that, he had laughed for the first time in ages that day, because he knew all too well about Robert's _work_ habits, and he was glad that Shania was able to have the honor of calling him out before she was sent here, because she more than deserved it. And so, from there, they had basically hit it off from the very start as the two of them coped as best as they could as prisoners aboard Robert's ship of insanity. Whenever Robert would leave for the day, they'd spend hours upon hours talking about the man behind his back, mocking him as they made themselves drinks and pretended to get drunk off of them as the conversation would usually veer into talk about their lives before Callister; before Robert. They'd speak of former jobs, and past flings, previous lovers, and stupid memories from their childhoods; and of course, they spoke about their families. And although for the first few times he had been reluctant to talk about his son, he had eventually told Shania about what Robert had done to Tommy, and she had been  _livid_.

So much so, that when Robert had come for his daily session with them the day after, Shania had refused to acknowledge anything that came out of their captor's mouth, and had straight up told the man to his face that he was a monster. This, of course, did not please Robert in any way as he had then promptly raised his hand and snapped his fingers, taking away most of Shania's face, except for her eyes. He wanted to see them flutter in agony, rolling into the back of her head as the loss of oxygen became too much for her to handle as she shook and convulsed right in front of them as Robert went on to warn her about the consequences of what would happen if she were to talk back to him ever again. Crumbling to her knees, Shania had reluctantly agreed to the terms and conditions of her surrender and she was allowed to breathe once more. This would later become one of Robert's favorite tactics of enacting dominance over his crew, especially when it came down to breaking the newest recruits; and it would prove to be quite effective.

As for the crew itself, members were always subject to change, and their position aboard the ship was never permanent thanks to the warning system that Robert had put in place that served out punishments in twos. Warning number one came with taking away their ability to breathe until they submitted, but warning number two almost always involved him in some capacity. It was to show that others would be affected should they disobey, and although some got the gist of it the first time around, most of them pushed their luck and Robert would torture him as he saw fit. Afterwards, if any of them tried so much as to forget what they needed to say during a mission, Robert would either dump them on random planets, or turn them into horrifying monsters and end up doing both; and since so many of them were so strong-willed, Robert ended up doing the third option quite frequently.

This had went on until the crew became more consistent, and Robert had congratulated them all for a job well done and decided that permanence should finally be established among them. Therefore, along with Shania and himself, their crew consisted of the company's receptionist, Elena Tulaska; one of the many programmers working at Callister, Kabir Dudani; and an intern who James had not met prior to the game, Nate Packer.

And with a crew, came a recurring antagonist for them to face off against, which came in the form of Valdack. Unlike everyone else, Valdack was never properly introduced to the game, and it was clear from the start that, besides himself, he was the one that Robert hated the most. Valdack had been their leading customer service technician, and it was easy to see why Robert would disapprove of him; because he was everything that Robert was not. Valdack was handsome, a social butterfly in his own right, and was generally well liked amongst most of the staff for his positive demeanor around the office; so it was only fitting that Robert would give him long greasy hair, a blind eye, and a multitude of scars all over his skin to detract from his overall attractiveness, as he then removed his real name from everyone's memory, including Valdack's himself, and dumped the man on a random planet knowing he knew next to nothing about his situation as he was left to spend the better half of a week trying to survive the harsh environment thinking that he was still in the real world.

When they had been beamed down to investigate the planet that Valdack was on, their initial meeting with the poor man had been met with shock as Valdack excitedly greeted them, tears running down his cheeks as he had then rushed towards them with the intention of thanking each and every one of them for having found him. He had even went so far as to hug Robert, which had everyone holding their breaths, but Robert had simply pushed him away, and Valdack's immediate relief at seeing them all had shifted into hurt and confusion as he was met with presumed hostility from the crew as they quickly bound him and threw him into a cell without an ounce of recognition. They all had felt so guilty about having to do such a thing to Valdack, of all people, and as soon as Robert had left for the day, they had all rushed to the brig to greet him accordingly and apologized to him about their previous behavior. It took a while to explain everything to him, but once he accepted the reality of their situation for what it was, Valdack was more than willing to listen. And in return, he had told them about what he had faced during the days prior to their arrival on his planet; how he had fared navigating the vast jungle that inhabited said planet, and how he had thought he had almost died several times for making the wrong move and was somewhat disappointed to find out that they couldn't die at all so the adrenaline that he had felt during those rather crucial moments wasn't really earned to begin with.

Soon after, descriptive accounts of their time with Robert had devolved into questions and answers being thrown back and forth between Valdack and the crew as each of them took turns answering whatever question popped into the man's head until the topic of their bodies had been brought up and things had taken quite a turn when Valdack, all of a sudden, had stated with the utmost certainty, that he had all his parts intact.

Of course, no one had believed him at first. They had all thought that Valdack had simply been too busy thinking that his life was in danger to even bother to check himself out to the fullest extent, and so they had thought that that truly was the case when Nate had volunteered to do the honors of flashing the other man with the mound of flesh that stood in place of his crotch to which Valdack had responded with utter disgust. But then, after he had gotten permission from both Elena and Shania, Valdack had then proceeded to unzip his pants to slip a rather sizable cock from the slit of his briefs.

The reveal had been met with complete surprise and rather blatant penis envy as they all got an eyeful of the flaccid appendage before Valdack, flustered by everyone's constant leering, had tucked it away, back into the confines of his pants for safekeeping.

Even though Robert's Space Fleet fantasy had deprived most of them of their genitals, Valdack, being the designated villain of the game, was apparently allowed to keep his for accuracy's sake due to the fact that his counterpart in the show, according to Robert, was a sexually charged asshole who took advantage of the affections that he was given when the original crew had rescued him in his debut episode. But with that being said, he had his suspicions that Robert was just taking advantage of their lack of knowledge of the show's lore to punish Valdack in a way that correlated with whatever thing that the man had done to piss him off in the first place; or maybe, perhaps, it had just been a glitch. Either way, the only drawback for Valdack when it came to being allowed to have his dick was that he was somehow given an unusually high sex drive as a result, and since he was kept separate from the others for long durations of time, coupled with the fact that everyone else was designed to be purposefully anatomically incorrect, he was often left with his own hand to keep him company, as well as the creatures that inhabited the various planets that he was subsequently dropped on; if he were so desperate, of course. But that, in no way, stopped the crew from being able to admire the man's dick whenever the plot called for it, and so, after they had propositioned Valdack with an arrangement that he couldn't refuse, everyone was able to have their turn helping Valdack with his predicament whenever he was brought aboard the ship after a so-called defeat by Robert's hands. Although actual penetration was off the table for very obvious reasons, the use of their mouths and their hands, as well as Elena's preference, the use of her breasts, were very much not, and they pretty much milked the man for what he was worth. Even Nate, who had proclaimed that he was straight for the longest of times, and had refused to do anything with the man, let alone touch him, had eventually gave in out of sheer boredom. Everyone, that is, except for him.

James knew exactly why talking to, let alone being in the same room as Valdack was a bad idea; because he was essentially property. He was Robert's property, to be more exact, and he knew that the man would probably be furious if he ever found out that he was being touched by someone other than himself, and if he did, than hell would surely reign down upon both of them without so much as a lick of mercy. And yet, with that in mind, James couldn't help but let the temptation of said act manifest inside him as it became more and more tempting as the days wore on and he was stuck pretending that he liked Robert's treatment of him, while everyone else got to enjoy something that was far better, and somehow so much more pure in a way, as opposed to the absolute filth and degradation that he had been saddled with, and it - it just wasn't fair. And so, as fate would have it, he had decided that he was going to be selfish for once; a decision that he will no doubt regret in due time.

-

It comes as a surprise to the whole crew when James suddenly speaks up as they're in the middle of deciding who was going to be with Valdack next, given that he hadn't shown much interest in doing so up until this point; and yet, unanimously, he's allowed to go forth and do just that and he can't help but be somewhat overjoyed as he makes his way over to the brig with a bottle of vodka in hand. The only person who doesn't know he's coming is Valdack himself, so when he walks past the sliding doors and enters the room the first thing that he hears is the voice that the man pulls whenever he's in character before he notices that it's him; it's basically Valdack's impression of an over-exaggerated cartoon villain that he had loved as a child, and it's clear that he at least has some fun doing it, though James worries for his voice all the same because of the amount of gravitas that he throws in to it every single time.

"Captain Daly, what a surpr-oh! Hey, Walton."

The sudden change in his demeanor is stark in contrast, and James can't help but chuckle as he steps into Valdack's cell and leans against the wall opposite of the man himself. Looking down, he immediately notices the way that Valdack is smiling at him, and it instantly warms his heart. For all of the things that Robert had tried to take away from Valdack, he was glad that the younger man's mischievous smile and rather youthful demeanor still prevailed above all else. It didn't matter that his boyish good looks had been marred by Robert's attempts to disfigure him, because Valdack still ended up being as gorgeous as ever, and James still remained ever spellbound by the other man's eyes, even after all this time.

"Drink?" James offers, shaking the bottle. When Valdack refuses, he merely shrugs and takes a swig before setting it down on the ground.

"So, how are you holding up?" James asks with a smile that's all teeth.

"I'm doing pretty alright at the moment," Valdack sighs contently as he rests his head against his outstretched arms. "Sucks that we're all stuck here and all, but y'know what? I think I can make do, especially now that you're here," Valdack emphasizes that last bit with a wink, and after a beat, they both laugh at the ridiculousness of it all before the other man changes his position by sitting up and swinging his legs off the ledge of the bench.

"But seriously, i'm glad to see you. I was actually beginning to think that you didn't like me," Valdack utters with an underlying sadness in his tone, and James can't help but feel guilty.

"I didn't mean for you to feel that way - i'm sorry," James apologizes, taking a few steps forward as he meets the other man's wide-eyed gaze.

"Nah, it's fine," Valdack shrugs, "All that matters is that you're here now." Valdack takes ahold of James' hand and gently toys with it as he continues to speak softly in earnest, "And I see, that this isn't just a social call. Why the change?"

James bites his lip, and swallows before he looks down into Valdack's rather mismatched pair of eyes and shudders as the man continues to study him.

"I - I just want something that isn't him, for a change. Okay?" The  _him_  in the equation goes unspoken, and James trusts that Valdack can come to his own conclusions on the matter as he moves to straddle him atop the bench, letting one of his hands slide up to rest upon the other man's cheek as he brings Valdack's face closer to his own.

"Okay."

The answer is straight and to the point, but the way that Valdack says it by way of a breathless whisper just solidifies his absolute need to please him. With just a moment's hesitation, James presses a kiss against Valdack's lips; it's soft, and sweet, absolutely nothing like the ones that Robert tries to give him, and he can't help but deepen it rather quickly as he grips Valdack's face with both of his hands, desperately licking into that willing mouth with heated fervor. And Valdack allows it, the other man pliant against his every whim, and there's just a certain kind of thrill that he feels that coincides with the sense of control that he has finally been given after having been without it for so long. When Valdack's hands begin to trail up his sides underneath his shirt, James shamelessly moans against his mouth, all too pleased with the feeling of those strong hands warming the chill of his skin as their tongues slide against each other seamlessly.

But of course, there's an uncanniness that disturbs him as he grinds his hips against Valdack and the man's ever growing hardness, as the lack of sensation is all too evident to him. God, he wants to feel something down there so badly - anything just so he can feel normal for once, but no; not even Robert will let him have this and he can almost hear the bastard laughing at him from afar. Cursing Robert in the back of his mind, James lets out a groan of frustration and parts their lips, pulling away much to Valdack's dismay.

"Is something wrong? Did I-" Valdack starts to ask, worried that he had somehow done something to upset his former boss, until James unceremoniously slides down onto his knees and he becomes pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

"Is this okay?" James murmurs, tentatively running his hands up and down Valdack's thighs.

"Yeah," Valdack answers with another one of his award-winning smiles, "More than okay, actually."

James gives him a small smile of his own before he goes ahead and unbuckles Valdack's belt, which is done with much enthusiasm instead of the usual dread and trepidation that he feels whenever he's in the same position with Robert. His hands no longer shake, and he doesn't have to act like he wants this, because he does, he really does, and so he happily unzips Valdack's pants and pulls his briefs down as he then proceeds to take ahold of the man's already hard cock and begins to stroke it. James has done this countless times, and he had thought that after having to deal with Robert for so long, that he'd be turned off by the very act of it, but instead, seeing Valdack overcome with pleasure as the other man moans his name with abandon only reminds him of how much he's missed doing it as a much more willing participant.

James licks his lips as his hand becomes sticky with pre-come, and after letting Valdack haphazardly thrust into his fist a few times, he takes back control and gradually slows his pace until coming to a complete stop altogether. Valdack whines, and looks down at him, pleading for him to continue, and all he can do is laugh as he, in return, looks up at the other man through his lashes before sliding his hand up just below the head and rubs the tip with his thumb, teasing him for just a moment, before bringing his head down to press a soft kiss against the sensitive flesh. Valdack instantly groans, and James has to stop himself from letting out another chuckle as he tentatively gives the head a lick, lapping up the fluid that leaks from it as he simultaneously rubs at the base of Valdack's cock with fervor.

"Ah fuck, that feels so good," Valdack sighs, gritting his teeth as his fingers all but fail to gain purchase on the metal bench, nails scratching at the surface. It's clear to James that Valdack is trying not to manhandle him or be rough with him in anyway, and he appreciates it, but to grant the man at least a bit of levity, James grasps at one of Valdack's hands and holds it near his face, giving him the permission to touch him as he so pleases to which Valdack immediately goes to carress his cheek. James leans into the touch, and hums, taking more into his mouth in the process, which causes Valdack to shudder, cock throbbing against his tongue.

James moans, bobbing his head as Valdack uses all his strength to slowly thrust into his mouth, bucking his hips with every suck as he takes him in deeper. His mouth is so full, and yet he is so content because of that fact alone, and for that he wants to swallow the other man whole, take everything that Valdack has to offer and more; anything if it meant that he could have this moment suspend, everything captured in the soft languid pace of time itself.

But like all good things, they must end; or in James' case, it starts when he lets himself close his eyes to fully immerse himself only to forget himself instead as he squirms, and suddenly it's not Valdack he's with; it's Robert. His mind somehow mixes itself up, and all he can remember is Robert's hands on him, his smell, his foul words tickling the back of his neck, and he gags. James then hurriedly releases Valdack's cock from his mouth in an instant, coughing up a storm after letting himself choke, and he feels like he might just cry as he blinks away the tears that threaten to fall from his eyes.

"Oh God, are you okay?" Valdack asks, concern evident in his voice, as he hunches over, trying to get a better look at him, only for James to wave him away. James inhales, taking a deep breath, but when he tries to speak once more, the words get caught on his tongue and he becomes a mumbling mess. "I don't think, I-I mean I-"

"Hey, hey, it's okay, man," Valdack quietly murmurs, "It's fine, we can totally stop if you need to." He emphasizes this by rubbing James' shoulder, and James sighs as he meets Valdack's compassionate gaze, thankful that Valdack was the man that he was, otherwise he would not know what to do with himself.

"No, just - just give me a second." After a moment, James catches his breath, giving Valdack a reassuring smile as he places his hands on the other man's hips and resumes his ministrations on his cock. It doesn't take long until they get back into the rhythm of things, and soon enough what had happened before is merely a thing of the past.

Keeping the bucking of Valdack's hips at bay, James is able to go at the pace that he so desires. He doesn't mean to tease, but James ends up doing just that as he leisurely makes his way up and down the length, trailing his lips alongside the raised skin, and pressing little kisses against the protruding veins that he finds every so often. His eyes never leave Valdack's line of sight, keeping the contact between them rather substantial as he contentedly watches as the other man tries to keep it together as his breathing becomes more and more shallow, panting only interrupted by the delightful moans that he draws out of him.

"Fuck! I don't think i'm going to last much longer - You're doing so good for me, Walton, so fucking good," Valdack groans; his skin is flushed, beads of sweat rolling down his face, as he grits his teeth like that would let him hold off the inevitable, and James can only hum in response from the praise as he finally quickens the pace, taking all that he can into his mouth while using his fist to hold off what he can't as he bobs his head relentlessly.

The only thing that is driving him right now is his ability to get Valdack off, and that's all that he cares about at the moment. Nothing else matters except for the sweet reward of having the other man's bitter release fill his mouth, which proves to be his undoing when he refuses to acknowledge the change in Valdack's voice as it quickly shifts from pleased moaning to nervous babbling in mere seconds, and the hands that swiftly make their way down to his shoulders to try and push him off, but to no avail. However, when Valdack is able to successfully push him off, James doesn't have time to be offended as sight and sound rush back in an instant, the whirring of the ship's engine abruptly entering his ears, and his throat suddenly becomes dry. It's only then that he notices that the bars to Valdack's cell are back, and he knows that he won't be able to get out in time because Robert is here; Robert is back, and he will automatically know what they have been up to.

The only thing he can do now is hopelessly gaze up at Valdack; and for a moment, they just stare into each other's eyes, frightened by what's to come next, until Valdack swallows and suddenly he's being lifted up and they end up kissing for one last time as the sound of the cell doors sliding open reverberates in the background.

"Oh, well look what we have here."

The all too familiar voice stops them both in their tracks, and James immediately yanks his mouth away, slowly turning his head around to see Robert, in all his glory, as he stands by the cell block's entrance with a rather distressed looking Shania in tow.

"Fraternizing with the enemy, are you, Walton?" Robert snaps, with just an ounce of blatant jealousy in his tone; and that, alone, sends chills up James' spine, and he automatically freezes in place. It's the quiet type of fury that lies within his voice; the calm before the storm that's cold and unrelenting, and absolutely none of them are prepared for the hell that Robert is about to let loose upon them as the man in question leers at them from his position by the door. Shania is downright terrified at this point; staring at the two of them with wide, agonizing eyes that make her feelings all too clear on the matter even if she doesn't let the rest of her face show it through her current mask of conformity that consists of a clenched smile and her hands positioned at parade rest. James, on the other hand, lets all the horror that he feels inside show on his face for all to see, and he can already feel himself start to tremble at the very thought of the consequences that he may face for his utter stupidity. The only one who isn't as clearly affected by what is happening is Valdack, who is currently pulling a brave face despite it all, even though it's probably the last thing that he should be doing when it comes to dealing with Robert face-to-face. He doesn't blame him, of course, seeing as Valdack has never taken punishment directly from the source before, but if either one of them was going to get out of this unscathed, than the other man needed to learn when to submit. And to, evidently, pull his pants back up.

"Cover yourself," James hisses under his breath, and Valdack thankfully obliges him as he makes a move to do just that. But before he can do what he had told him, Valdack's hands freeze in place, and he knows exactly who's the cause of it as he chances a glance at Robert, glaring at the man's forefinger as it's slightly raised against his otherwise closed fist, and oh fuck - he heard him. The bastard fucking heard him.

"No, don't do that," Robert commands, lifting the bars from the cell once more. "You had already given up the right for decency when you had set foot on my ship like the criminal that you are. And you-" He says in an accusatory fashion, heatedly pointing his finger at James from where he currently sits on his knees against the hard ground, "This is very unbecoming of an officer of your stature, and you should be ashamed of yourself, Lieutenant. But-" The flippant tone in Robert's voice shifts, and his frown is replaced with a complacent smile as he looks down upon him with fake pity in his eyes, "-I forgive you, Walton," Robert coos, "Because I can tell that this man was clearly taking advantage of you, and that simply will not do. Not under my jurisdiction, and certainly not under the protective laws that prohibit this type of behavior under Space Fleet code. So please, step aside; so that I can deal with this vile piece of scum accordingly."

Robert finishes this off by giving James a hard stare, paired by his clenched fists, and James can't help but be overwhelmed by the promise that's held within those furled digits. But even through the fog of his current terrified state, it dawns on him that Robert is actually giving him a chance to redeem himself. All he has to do is comply, and he won't have to be the one that suffers this time; and while he does consider letting Valdack take all the blame, in the end, James just can't find it in himself to go through with it. Valdack doesn't deserve any of this; he has done absolutely done nothing wrong, and yet, somehow, the sweetest, most optimistic man he's ever come to know is here in hell right alongside him, and it just isn't right.

Standing up with weary legs, James lets Robert have the benefit of the doubt for one measly second; letting Robert think that he's about to step away before turning around and opening his mouth much to Valdack's dismay, as the other man tries but fails to get him to return to his previous position on the ground.

"Don't hurt him," James utters, surprised by his own voice as the words that he says come out distinctly and without a single stutter. He's speaking strongly for once, and the fear that he once felt washes away as he stares Robert down with conviction.

"Step aside, Walton. That is an order," Robert scoffs, his impatience all too apparent as he marches closer towards them. Meanwhile, Shania is mouthing 'no' repeatedly at him from behind their captor, shaking her head, as her concern shows even more plainly on her face; her smile completely gone at this point and her features now consist of only blatant worry and uneasiness, which makes James have to look away because her concern is just too much for him to handle as he goes on to defy Robert's orders in Valdack's defense.

"Please," James pleads, "This is all me. Punish me, not him."

"Out of my way," Robert growls this time through clenched teeth.

"No - Punish me, not him," James reiterates, a fire of sheer determination shining brightly in his eyes as he continues to stand his ground, completely disregarding his anxiety from Robert being so close to him yet again. He hasn't felt like this in ages, thinking that Robert had taken most of his will along with his dignity long ago, but no, there's still a spark inside him that's telling him otherwise, and he's never felt more alive.

But even invincibility has to end some time, and it comes crashing down on James once Robert reminds him what's still at stake as his dumbfounded expression at his disobedience changes for the worst. Robert schools his features, simply raising his eyebrows and tilting his head, and when he speaks it isn't with the boisterous accent that he usually does for his in-game persona; it's quiet, and it's - it's Robert's regular voice, peeking out from under the veil.

"You want me to bring Tommy back, don't you?" Robert taunts in a hushed tone, and it immediately breaks James' resolve.

"No. No I-"

"Because I will do it," Robert continues, letting his words drip and ooze against his ear until they take full precedent in James' mind. "Oh yes I will. You want him back on this ship, I see that now."

"Robert, stop!" James cries out, and it's the outburst that does him in; because he used Robert's name. He said the fucker's real name, practically screamed it, and the way that the other man's eye had twitched from its use sinks him even deeper. He's broken the illusion of the game, James realizes, and he needs to do something fast or else he'll be in even more trouble if he is not able to keep up with the charade.

Cautiously holding his hands up in surrender, James tries his hardest not to let Robert hear the slight tremble in his voice as he all but whispers, promising the other man sweet nothings in exchange for his last shred of mercy. "Th-There's no need to resort to such tactics, Captain. I understand full well the consequences of my actions. But please, if you can let this go, i'll do anything that you want. Anything. Just name it, and it's yours."

However, this doesn't get the desired result. Rather than being happy with the promise of complete compliance from him once more, Robert scowls, glowering at him with white-knuckled fists, and in that instance, James realizes that he undoubtedly knows next to nothing about how far Robert's hatred for Valdack truly extends. "Oh, so now you want to play the role of the slut, is that it? Do you know how long i've been waiting for you to submit to me in this way? And now you finally do, and it's only because this douche-bag's ass is on the line? Well it's not going to work. Not today. Because that isn't what I want. Now move aside, or so help me, I will bring your son back onto this ship, and make the whole crew watch as I make him die an even more painful death. Last chance, Walton. What's it going to be?"

The light in James' eyes dies in an instant, and after giving Valdack one last glance over his shoulder, he reluctantly makes his decision. Stepping away, James allows Robert the right of way and begins to close in on himself. He can hear Valdack suck in a breath as he does this, and he can already feel the guilt rising up in his throat; but it isn't enough for him to change his mind this time around. If the choice ever came down between anyone on the crew and his own son, James would always pick Tommy above all else; it's just as simple as that. He just hopes and prays that Valdack will understand and will not think too harshly of him once his punishment is out of the way.

Turning around to at least give Valdack the decency of his gaze, James watches as Robert extends his arm out, splaying his fingers outwards and in position as he stares directly at his polar opposite, while Valdack simply closes his eyes, and prepares for the worst. But then, suddenly, Robert lowers his hand, and his fingers slowly retract, one by one, until it returns to its default state as a clenched fist.

"It seems," Robert ponders, "That i've had a change of heart."

Valdack immediately exhales, letting out a sigh of relief, as he grants the very man who had gotten him in trouble in the first place a rather misguided grin; but James can't find it in himself to return it because he knows better at this point. Instead, James shakes his head, and waits for whatever dreadful thing is about to come out of Robert's mouth.

"In fact," Robert declares triumphantly with a wicked sneer, "I have an idea."

And before anyone can say or do anything, Robert snaps his fingers and the world around them goes black, rendering James unconscious.

-

When James wakes up, the first thing that he notices right away is that he's naked. It isn't exactly uncommon for him to be in such a state, especially at times like this, but the feeling of the air combined with the press of the cold steel of the table that he is currently laid out upon chills his skin, and he ends up shivering despite himself; the clatter of his teeth echoing within limitless space. However, to his surprise, James feels that he's already been stretched open, and he is at least relieved that he was able to skip that particularly grueling bit on Robert's agenda.

The second thing that James notices is the fact that his hands are bound by his sides, which is something he hasn't endured in quite some time ever since Robert had deemed the use of shackles unnecessary after he had stopped trying to run away in vain; after all, there was nowhere to hide in the void, and absolutely nowhere to run to unless Robert willed it for a special occasion of sorts. The cuffs themselves are connected to the table, and while they do keep his hands in place, there is still a little lee-way that allows him to slightly wiggle his hands within the otherwise secure space provided. The only thing that he doesn't quite understand is the fact that his legs did not recieve the same treatment as they lay bare, free to do whatever they pleased within reason. But that doesn't matter now, it seems, as James looks up to find the third and last thing weighing on his mind staring back down at him and he sighs, because it's one of  _those_  days.

The thing standing above him stands on all fours, all thick and rigid skin, with the occasional patch of hair, that protrudes a coating of what he can only determine as slime that drips onto the nonexistent floor. It's face is full of tentacles; tendrils moving and writhing in all sorts of directions that make him nauseous just by looking at it, along with the putrid smell that it emits, pervading the air with its foul stench. But the worst part, no doubt, is the shrill cry that it keeps on emitting, piercing his ears with the sound, and it hurts so goddamn much, but he succumbs to the pain because the worst was still yet to come judging by how they are currently situated.

Except, there's something off about this whole situation; Robert isn't sitting in his chair like he usually does during these sessions, instead he's opting to stand close to him by the table like he's got front row tickets to see a film adaptation of his beloved show, all while the creature before them keeps on screeching and wailing at the top of its lungs with no signs of stopping. Usually Robert's creations cut to the chase rather quickly, but this one - this one is trying its hardest to pull away, like it doesn't want to do what it was created to do. The only thing that's stopping the creature from running for the hills is Robert himself, his arm extended with an open palm to keep it in place.

"Ah, Lieutenant!" Robert bellows, greeting James with a cheery grin once he notices that he's awake. "You've finally come back to us. We've been waiting for you."

"What - What's going...on?" It's a rather foolish question to ask since he already knows the answer all things considered, but it will no doubt stall things for a little while longer if Robert is in a talkative mood.

"Punishment, Walton," Robert murmurs apathetically, drumming his fingers against the metal beside his head. "I intend to punish you. But-" Robert trails off, gesturing to the monster that's currently squirming before them, "I also intend to punish  _him_  as well."

Him.

"Wh-What do you mean by  _him_?" James swallows, staring up at Robert with suspicion in his eyes.

"Oh don't be so dense, Walton," Robert huffs, rolling his eyes. "I believe you can put two and two together."

It takes him a second to register, but once he takes it all in, the realization hits him hard and leaves him speechless as he looks back up at the thing in front of them. It's Valdack. The creature is Valdack. And this - this is all his fault.

"Recognize him yet? I knew you would."

"N-No," James begins, sobbing in disbelief. "No, Robert. This is - This is-"

"This is what, Walton? Madness?" Robert scoffs, but then his rather serious attitude suddenly breaks when he realizes that he had made a reference and lets loose a chuckle in its stead. "No," Robert says after he's done having his fun, "I'd say that this is justice. And i'd also have to say that this is a pretty economic way of handling the both of you, that way I won't have to waste the rest of my night punishing the two of you individually." Robert runs his hand through James' hair that's almost gentle in comparison to what's to come, looking down at him with a smug expression on his face as he continues, "Killing two birds with one stone," he sighs dreamily. "Although death would just be too good for you two."

"But if it's of any consolation," Robert trails off with a wave of his hand, "Lover boy, here, isn't the one who will be controlling his own actions; i'll be in charge of that. He will do whatever I say, and he will comply to the best of his ability, despite not wanting to do either, which makes things all the more sweeter. But since i'm feeling rather nice, i'll give him the benefit of the doubt and let him have the reigns as long as he does what needs to be done in a timely fashion."

Robert then bends down, and James can feel the man's breath against his skin; he wants so much to turn his head away and ignore the other man, but when he tries to do just that, Robert catches him, gripping his chin and forcing it back until his lips are at level with his ear, ghosting the shell.

"Don't you think that's lenient of me, Walton?" Robert whispers. "Aren't I being generous?"

James nods, and takes a deep breath, before he answers, "Yes, Captain. You're being very generous indeed. We're both-"

"Speak for yourself," Robert snaps, the boom of his voice causing James to flinch.

" _I'm_  very grateful, sir," James murmurs, emphasizing his own gratitude as he gives Robert a shaky smile in an attempt to please him; which it does, because Robert returns the smile, and even goes so far as to ruffle his hair, before the man shifts and he feels hands cradling his head from behind.

"Now," Robert mumbles against his ear, "Let's see how you like Valdack now."

The creature treads forward, tentacles carefully wrapping themselves around James' limbs, proceeding to spread his legs apart and lifts them up into the air. James feels exposed like this, the very feeling making him physically ill, but he pushes down all the disdain he currently feels aside because Valdack is stopping once more, prolonging the inevitable, and that simply would not do. He'd rather have Valdack in control for this, not Robert, and so, lifting his hand up as far as it can go against the bonds he lets his fingertips glide against the tendril that's currently in charge of lifting his right leg up into the air in order to placate the poor man that's currently trapped inside the monster.

"It's okay," James utters softly, soothingly rubbing circles into taught skin. "I got you into this mess. Just go ahead and do it. Please. For both of our sakes."

The creature makes a noise at this, acknowledging his words, as it reluctantly trudges closer towards James until it's practically on top of him. James then nods and gives it a small smile of encouragement, and it's enough for the thing to get comfortable in its position as a tentacle makes its way up to James' face and he willingly leans into the touch. The smile, however, disappears as quickly as it came as soon as the creature's cock is revealed from underneath a barrage of tendrils between its hind legs, and James can no longer keep up the facade as he wrenches his body away from its touch. It's huge; bigger than anything he's ever been forced to take so far. Not even the appendages from Robert's other creations could match up by way of sheer girth, and it's just too much to take in now that he sees it up close. But when he attempts to close his legs, the thing that is now Valdack keeps them open much to his complete horror.

The utter fear that James conveys, however, throws the creature for a loop and it effectively freaks out, abruptly releasing James' legs as it starts backing away, screeching at the top of its lungs. But then suddenly, with a choked off noise, the creature is silent, save for the heavy grunts that it lets out as it slowly makes its way back to the table; and James knows, in that instant, that Valdack is no longer in control.

He cant help but hyperventilate at this point. Really, he should be making sure that he's relaxed but logic and the reality of the situation lets instinct take control in this instance, and he pants and whimpers, making little noises in the back of his throat as he actively tries to wrench his hands out of the restraints as the creature edges closer to him, roughly securing its hold on his legs to keep them spread as it presses against his entrance, and like so many times before, James wants to die.

As a last ditch attempt, James lifts his head up and looks up into Robert's eyes only to find an abyss of nothing staring back down at him, and he can feel himself start to shrivel up from the stare alone.

"Robert, please..." James begs.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Walton - you brought this on yourself."

When words escape him, the bound man resorts to repeatedly shaking his head and silently pleading with the use of his eyes, but all Robert gives him in return is a cruel smirk before he wags his finger in his direction and the creature involuntarily advances, forcing itself inside in one swift motion, and he screams.

The pain is beyond excruciating; he feels like he's being ripped apart by the seams, and for a moment he imagines that the only thing that's keeping him in one piece at this point is the thing that's inside him, refusing to let him bleed out onto the table while it ruthlessly goes about its business, wrecking his insides; and once that's done and over with, and the thing forces itself back out, all that will be left will be a puddle of blood glistening against the light shining down on him, surrounded by his own intestines as they decorate the floor and the lower half of the table in his own gore.

The first drag of the creature's cock as it prepares to thrust back inside him is the cruelest kind of torture; it's especially slow, and he knows that Robert is doing it on purpose as he can feel the impressive ache, an all consuming burn that enrages his nerves and sets him on fire. James barely has time to even breathe before the pace swiftly changes in a heartbeat, and all he can do is cry out as Valdack mindlessly fucks into him, ramming his insides, and ripping them to shreds simultaneously with each and every thrust. His throat is filled with the taste of iron as it replaces his own saliva, and it hurts to even swallow, as everything pulses and becomes inflamed throughout his mind and body. Soon enough, he begins to choke on his own sobs, and he can't even think straight anymore; all that he sees now, is red.

"Please...stop..." manages to tumble out of James' mouth, along with even more pointless pleas, but none of them have any effect as the creature continues its ruthless assault against him under Robert's watchful eyes. For a moment, he thinks that Robert is going to say something to him, as he watches the other man part his lips, but he doesn't; Robert doesn't say anything, he doesn't do anything, all he does is watch, and it's honestly the most unnerving thing James has ever witnessed. But he supposes, that this is punishment enough, isn't it? He wouldn't even be able to hear the other man's words if he even tried, because the blood's too busy rushing to his head, and even he has trouble hearing his own thoughts through the unrepentant pounding of his heart. James thinks that this must be what dying feels like, to feel completely and utterly helpless against the powers that be, as his mind races through a pattern of red intermixed with black and the discomforting shroud of static that clouds his vision and leaves him temporarily blind.

James starts to hyperventilate once more after some time passes, his body shaking and writhing atop the table as the monster above him continues to rock its body against him. It isn't until a tentacle rises up to his mouth does James realize that Valdack is still in there somewhere and he deliriously takes the appendage into his mouth and bites into it, muffling his screams. The animalistic growls that the creature produces resound from above, becoming louder and louder as they drown out his own cries until finally the member inside him throbs and stiffens, and James knows that the thing is about to come inside him. But of course there's a twist to it, and he howls as he feels it inflate, pulsating as it grows even bigger, the bulge that he can see rising from his own stomach stretching and expanding and he bawls as he's filled to the brim with its come - that's merely, more or less, the salt being rubbed directly into the wound as the creature drags its now spent member out of him and it all gushes out like a wave. James doesn't know how much was inside him, and honestly he doesn't want to know, refusing to look down at what's left over as he lays there stricken beyond words.

There's a moment of silence afterwards. Nothing but dead air echoing inside the void besides the sound of the creature heaving and grunting from across the room, until Robert claps his hands, and they are immediately back on board the ship, appearing on the bridge instead of Valdack's cell much to the surprise of the crew as they all remain motionless, mortified by the turn of events. James instantly drops to his knees, and the first thing that he does is clutch at his stomach, tightly grasping at the blue fabric of his shirt as he begins to shake and sob uncontrollably. James doesn't even notice that Valdack has changed back until the man crawls his way towards him and attempts to apologize, and he shrieks, pushing the other man away, and all he can say is "Don't touch me," over and over again, until his throat grows hoarse and he whimpers pathetically at his own fatigue. Tilting his head a little ways to the right, he ends up resting his head against what ends up being Robert's knee and he finds refuge there as he tries to calm himself down. It's a rather disturbing sight to behold, and he can already feel everyone's eyes on him, but he can't seem to pull himself away no matter how hard he tries.

"Hm," Robert utters thoughtfully, looking down at James with a devious smile, "It seems that you two have learned your lesson, yes?" It isn't confirmation that Robert needs, since the looks on their faces are proof enough; it's more that he wants to rub it in, and so they promptly answer his question, disjointed voices resounding within the quiet of the room.

"Ah, good," Robert replies before clasping his hands together, commanding the attention of the entire crew. "Now, I have been told that you all have suffered from Valdack's  _influence_  one way or another, and I am here to put an end to it once and for all."

Robert steps over to where Valdack sits, who is currently curled in on himself, and kicks him, to which the other man simply unravels as he stares up at Robert with unreserved fear in his eyes. Robert does nothing more but smirk at the display of absolute submission that he is given before he snaps his fingers; and if the implication of what had taken place wasn't enough, Robert voices it so that all of them will know exactly what he had just done.

"There," Robert proclaims, "After all the heinous things that he has done, I have taken the very thing that matters most to him." 

Taking one last conceited look at Valdack, Robert returns to his place beside James, nudging his cheek with his knee like he expects James to rest it there once more; and he does just that, because it's clearly what Robert wants at the moment, and who was he to deny him of that after all that he has done himself?

"Mr. Dudani!" James hears Robert call out from above, watching as the man in question immediately stiffens and proceeds to look over his shoulder accordingly.

"Y-Yes, Captain?"

"Drop Valdack somewhere where he has no access to any kind of ships or weapons, and where we'll be able to find him quite easily should the opportunity arise. It will take too long to reach Space Fleet headquarters at the rate that we are going, and we wouldn't want to cause Lieutenant Walton any more grief knowing that this savage is still on board, would we? We'll just have to wait til next time to arrest him and bring him to justice."

"Yes, Captain."

As Dudani fumbles with his set of control panels, pressing random buttons in order to select a location, James gains the courage to rest his eyes back on Valdack as the man holds his face in his hands, not knowing what to do with himself as he sobs at him from his position just a few feet away.

"I'm sorry - I'm so sorry, Walton," Valdack cries out, and James can hear just how distraught he is by what he had just done; the pain in his voice; the utter agony, as the man continues to babble apologies at him, tears rolling heavily down his cheeks. It hurts just to look at Valdack in this way, and he can blame no one but himself for what had taken place.

Reaching out, James tries to grab ahold of Valdack and comfort him, but before he can do so, orange light begins to engulf the other man and the last thing that he sees is Valdack mouthing another apology in his direction, and before James can even return the sentiment, he is then promptly beamed down to whatever planet Dudani had decided to dump him on.

In retrospect, James will learn that his actions had cost the crew the only thing that they had to look forward to, and confrontations with Valdack as an antagonist are made less frequent as a result. But as for right now, all he can do is gaze forlornly at the spot that Valdack had once inhabited, and for the second time in his life, James feels like mourning.

Robert, quietly reveling in his victory, simply pats James on the shoulder and says something to him, but he isn't listening as he continues to hopelessly stare at the empty spot. The last thing that he does happen to hear, however, is the faint tune of Robert whistling before the man takes his leave, and they are all left broken once more.

_"Exit game."_

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, so as some of y'all have noticed, i'm making this into a little series! It's going to be short, in fact the next part is going to be the last out of this twisted trilogy, so y'all will at least have one more guaranteed fic from me when it comes to the sad, sad life of Lieutenant James Walton!
> 
> As for the series' title, it refers to the song 'Time to Pretend' by MGMT, which I think is fitting considering how childish Robert is! c:
> 
> But omg you guys, on a side-note, i'm so surprised that out of the actors that play Daly, Walton, and Valdack respectively, Daly's is the youngest out of the three lol


End file.
